India ready for more GM crops, says Pawar

New Delhi, Sep 29 (UNI) More than three years after India introduced genetically modified (GM) crops by selling Bt.Cotton seeds to its farmers, the country could be seeing more of them in the coming years.

With the country embracing agricultural biotechnology to ensure food security, many GM varieties like Bt. brinjal, Bt. rice and Bt.

tomato are in the pipeline, Union Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said.

The problems of shrinking agricultural fields, drought and salinity weighing high in the minds of the planners, GM crops come handy because of claims that these are tolerant to stresses.

''The transgenic crops tolerant to these stresses would help extend area under cultivation and consequently increase the total food security,'' Mr Pawar said at an international conference in agricultural biotechnology here.

Environmentalists have slammed the use of GM crops for fear of them causing health hazards. In India, Bt Cotton seller Monsanto Corporation has also been criticised for selling the seeds at high prices.

Mr Pawar said food safety and environmental risk assessment need to be carried out on a strict scientific basis. It is necessary to analyse benefits and costs to determine the socio- economic feasibility of implementing the technology, he added.

''According to the global data generated so far, genetically modified foods are no different than the conventionally bred food in terms of safety to human health and to the environment,'' he said while adding confidence needs to be built among the consumers that GM foods are ''safe and eco-friendly''.

India is ranked seventh among 21 countries in terms of use of land under GM crops. Bt.Cotton was introduced in the country in 2002 for a period of 3 years, which was extended for three more later.

Stressing he wants to strengthen the National Agriculture Research System to meet the existing and emerging challenges, Mr Pawar said the Eleventh Plan (2007-2012) would give the much-needed thrust to research and development in the agricultural sector.

Prof P K Seth, Chief Executive Officer of the Biotech Park, Lucknow said a science-based analysis would be employed before giving nod to GM crops. The GM crops awaiting clearance for commercialisation will be put to analysis by the Indian Safety Committee of the Biotechnology Department followed by field trials, he added.

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